# Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC)  Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC).

> **NIH NIH P50** · RAND CORPORATION · 2020 · $93,359

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The U.S. is in the midst of an opioid crisis, and efforts to tackle the complex and dynamic nature of this public
health challenge must comprehensively consider a multitude of contributing factors. States have implemented
a wide range policies and initiatives in response. However, the dynamic nature of the crisis and speed with
which different policy approaches are being implemented pose numerous challenges for researchers
evaluating the effects of such efforts. These challenges stem in part from limited information regarding policy
implementation, insufficient information about policy characteristics that may influence effectiveness, little
consideration of how the chosen analytic method may influence findings given simultaneous or concurrent
implementation of multiple policies, and limited training on how to best communicate findings to policymakers.
To address these challenges, the proposed Center for Opioid Policy Research (COPR) will serve as a national
resource, fostering innovative and high-quality research in the opioid policy arena and developing and
disseminating methods, tools, and information to the research community, policymakers, and the general
public. Leveraging the extensive experience of COPR leadership and our External Advisory Board, COPR will
create resources of significant value to those working in this policy domain. We will develop a state-level opioid
policy database, accessible to both researchers and policymakers, that assembles comprehensive opioid
policy information from a variety of domains (e.g., health care, pharmaceuticals, law enforcement) into a single
standardized data resource that offers detailed timelines of various policies and groups of policies within each
state. Drawing from this resource, we will conduct detailed assessments and documentation of new and
emerging policy dimensions for which we can provide robust scientific support demonstrating causal effects.
Through the Center’s access to multiple, complementary secondary data sources that capture a broad range of
measures relevant to both licit and illicit opioids, we will develop new metrics of local opioid markets that can
be used to evaluate or monitor impacts of policies in local areas. Finally, we will use simulation methods to
design a simulation platform to develop robust new methods for identifying the joint impact of multiple, co-
occurring polices. To enhance awareness and use of COPR findings and foster effective communication with
policymakers and the broader research community, COPR will rely upon a multipronged dissemination and
educational approach. The Center website will provide a comprehensive data repository and rich resources on
state-of-the-art methods and metrics. In-person and online communication and methods workshops will
highlight key Center project findings and provide training on how best to communicate research with
nontechnical audiences. Finally, a strategic marketing campaign will raise visibility of the Cente...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10068385
- **Project number:** 3P50DA046351-02S2
- **Recipient organization:** RAND CORPORATION
- **Principal Investigator:** BRADLEY D STEIN
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $93,359
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10068385

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10068385, Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC)  Center to Advance Research Excellence (OPTIC). (3P50DA046351-02S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10068385. Licensed CC0.

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